The invention relates to a clip to be applied on a longitudinal flange for the mounting of components, in particular ornamental strips, with a substantially rectangular block which holds the component and from which resilient fingers project in opposition to an abutment protruding from the block.
A clip of this type is already used in the car industry, more specifically for the mounting of decorative strips which cover roof channels provided in the roof of motor vehicles. In the known clips, two resilient fingers which are folded substantially into a U-shape and oppose an abutment are arranged next to one another. The resilient fingers and the abutment project substantially at right angels from the plane of the block and leave a free gap between themselves, in which the longitudinal flange penetrates when the clip is applied and on which flange the resilient fingers then cling. The resilient fingers and the abutment penetrate into the roof channel or into a channel extending next to the longitudinal flange parallel thereto, when the clip is applied to the longitudinal flange. Owing to the limited depth of the channel, only a relatively short length, in which the bending zone for the resilient finger is to be arranged, is available for the resilient fingers which have been folded into a U-shape. The bending zone must maintain a spring stroke for the resilient fingers, which is greater, the more the resilient fingers have to allow for tolerances with respect to the position of the longitudinal flange. This means that the resilient fingers are subjected to considerable bending stresses in the vertex region of their U-shaped course, and this can cause the resilient fingers to snap off when the clip is applied, particularly if the material has undesirable properties.
The object of the invention is to construct the clip described at the outset such that the risk of the resilient fingers snapping is avoided by desirable positioning of the bending zone.